Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-08-11

mo..ho nair. they we're bothdreamin
$50 women in sealskins and vel
vst. diamonds glittering IN tneiI 49,
ard nlumes waving above their iooliSi
saces who blocked Fifth avenue ant
refused passage to sober iolks, Nv !,
they we're simultaneously rouseu ~ |.
sharp, imperative ring at inc uoo.
bell.
peter Jumped and hurried on M
clothes. iDon't you comel" he smart
~ addressed Lydia. Its ProoaDii
murder or fire. You stay rignt thele.
lydia sank back obedientiy, an
another loud peal hurried Peter =
the door. He stopped TO llgu. n
gas in the hall, and, as II naslled ap
heard a carriage drive away, anu az
other ring sffote on his ear. ne opell
ed the door, and the light streameo
on two women, flushed IN lace; GRIP
ming with rain, clothed with ola wa.
tarproof cloaks, disheyeled curis
neepipe from one hood and a straiga'
rough bang from the other.
100 of the steps, you drunkel
wretchesp' screamed Peter, siamniine
the door in their faces. Then ne turh,
ed down the gas and listened az 'n'
keyhole.
ION. janet how dreadful It must
ha that brother OF Bridget's that was
To come as our waiter to-day; nedoni
know us. oh, / stagger so on this wei
icel" aaadt,r,
Peter caught the words "dreadfuf,
saanar y and nodded his head
sagaciously. - two
Again the bell rang fiercely, and W !.
pairs OF hands assaulted D door, y
shook, but did not yield. w,
"Why don't you open doors w w
are frozen. Where is Bridget! we
are wet through. Let us IN" :,
aH-mi Evidently not used TO coio
water" chuckled Peter, groping ms
way up the stairs, and finding Lyaia
quite pale with fright.
"Ohi OIL What-what was it, re
teri"
aNothing-nothing. my dear. Two
manitestly inebriated females VINO
wished to get in. Sad-very sad; but
so. You recollect what the Coldwatel
Herald said, in that article on the IN
creasing i~ntemperance Of the female
sex. this evening? Well, this is an aw'
ful proof OF the correctness OF thar
statement. You won't be troubled
with them. think, any more"
"Oh, Peter! what If it should pethe
people in the next housel"
ut may be. ] think their late
hours points in that direction"
And with a comfortable n oil be
ing morally far above his neighbors,
Peter lay down and slept the sleep o
the consciously upright man.
Meantime the two luckless women
on the doorstep had been fortunate
enough to see a policeman in the dis.
lance, and, waiting till he vas near,
the taliest one said: Won't you DC
kind enough to make the inmates here
open this door, We we're careless
enough TO forget the latch key, and
The new servant did not recognize
u.s."
"Are We sure tits the roight door,
guessed the astute policeman.
"Fwhat's the number av yer own"
1.-TWO hundred aud eighteen" was
n prompt answer.
Patsey flashed his bulls-eye on the
door. "Ah, thin, ! thought that was
the way iy it; tits next door We are;
an why would they be for lettin' ye
in when We worrn't there?"
"Oht" And a little hysterical laugh
followed. Then, with much slipping
and scrambling, the two thoroughly
wet women wentdown one set OF steps
and up another. slip a dollar into the
willing palm of the city guardian, and
ringing their own bell, were soon IN.
side their own door.
The next afternoon Peter encoun-
tered at the reading-room of his
special society a prominent temper.
ance man, who was thoroughly at
work for the cause. knew all about its
organizations, and ran its mass
meetings.
In the course OF conversation Peter
remarked to Mr.. Blair that it was
very sad TO find out how drunkenness
spreading among women. '0nly
last night, sir" he went on, with the
slight pomSosIty OF a man who knows
OF what he speaks, and is qualified
therefore to instruct his hearers-''yes,
only last night / vas aroused by
frantic peals at my door bell, loud
cries and knockiags, and when / hur-
ried down and opened the door, there
stood two quite respectable females.
| caught O glimpse of q velvet dress,
sir, on one, and / think the other was
in satin-yes, sir, | should
say yeiler satin"-(0h, Peter, it was
old goldi); "but their hair was stray
gled all out, and their faces red. They
was manifestly inebriated-yes, sir,
they was indeed"
Dear me- dear mel And what did
you do with them?" Inquired good Mr..
Blair.
Let them alone, sir. Yes, sir, let
them severely alone. There a police.
man has o midnight beat on our
! ruther think he raked en-
"By-the-way Mr.. Patterson, our
mass-meeting tonight is put of. /
Just went up to - street to see Mrs.
Johnson-park, in nswer to a tele-
gram she sent me, and found her seri.
ously ill-quite unable to speak to-
She is threatened with rheu.
matte fever; and Miss Nary has a
hoarse cold"
"Oh. hoped | should hear them to-
said Peter, in a tone of disap.
pointment.
NO one will. You see, the meeting
last evening closed very late, and the
night was so rainy the
of their carriage made
a mistake and stopped at the wrong
door-the next house. They did not
1t, and made Ruthless efforts to
get in, standing in the cold rain till
they were we through, before a no.
llceman passed and pointed out their
mistake. ] am ofraid they will both
be seriously ill.,"
a terrible idea started into Peters
head. did you say they live on
street," ~hepasped. "What nnmberpr
Two hundred and eighteen"
OH" groaned Peter.
He had called the women he wor.
afar off, the great lights Of
the Nj. N. o. p. O., drunken wretch.
to their faces.
Poor Peter Patterson
Hacy EuiSnda IS a. -